


like ships upon a winding river

by space_gay001



Category: SCP - Containment Breach, SCP Foundation
Genre: Containment Breach, Gen, SCP-439, Short
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-11
Updated: 2020-09-11
Packaged: 2021-03-06 18:34:38
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,709
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26403541
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/space_gay001/pseuds/space_gay001
Summary: A researcher and a D-Class meet briefly during a containment breach.
Comments: 1
Kudos: 9





	like ships upon a winding river

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this a few months ago and just now got around to editing it. considered getting it posted on the site as a tale but the whole process seems like a pain in the ass so I'll just let people read it here. enjoy!

Dr. Beckett was not having a good day. She had managed to barricade herself in an empty room off the medical bay with some tables that were looking flimsier by the second. The alarms blaring in the hallways were mercifully muffled which gave her a moment to collect herself. The breach had started less than five minutes ago and she had already watched ten of her coworkers die. 682 had torn through them like tissue paper; it was only through sheer luck that it caught hold of her lab coat in its jaws instead of her soft flesh, giving her the seconds she needed to hide. Beckett jumped as a roar broke through the din outside; she risked a peek through the small window in the door. The deadly-looking tail of the reptile whipped around the corner as it pursued some other prey.

The scientist’s legs collapsed from under her. She let out a quiet sob, still wary of whatever dangers might be outside the door. Only moments ago she had been chatting with Dr. Arms about grabbing a drink together. Her horrified face was probably the last thing he saw. Of course she had known the risks, but she never thought something like this would happen so soon after her transfer here. A dull thud and the sound of shattering glass set her senses on high alert. She screamed when something started pounding on the door.

“Hey, open up in there!” Beckett scrambled to her feet to look through the window. A blonde woman’s face was pressed against the glass. She looked young, early twenties probably, and absolutely mad with fear. “You! Open this door right the hell now!” She hurriedly shoved the tables out of the way and pulled the door inward. The woman tripped inside. Beckett’s eyes widened at the orange jumpsuit the other wore as she re-barricaded the door. “Thanks,” the D-class panted. “I swear that fuckin’ lizard runs faster than a jet, I thought I was dead for sure.”

“How did you get out?” Beckett slowly edged her way over to a nearby shelf, hoping she could grab something to defend herself in case the D-class got violent.

“Door was open. Some kinda electrical issue on Level 5, all the locks shut down. All of us made a run for it.”

“I see.” She took another step.

“Dude, you can stop, okay? I’m not gonna hurt you.”

“You know I can’t trust your word.”

“Ugh, you drones are all the same. Whatever, do what you want. I’m getting out of here.” The woman started looting through cupboards, pocketing bandages and other supplies.

“You can’t just take those!” Beckett’s fear melted into annoyance. They were in the middle of a crisis and this D-class thought every rule was suddenly off the table. “That’s Foundation property, I’m not going to let you just walk out with that.”

“You don’t look like you’re in much of a position to stop me.” She had a point; Beckett was easily a foot shorter and a lot thinner than the other woman.

“The mobile task force certainly will be, they’re probably already here.”

“Oh yeah? Well they’re gonna be awfully busy with that monster on the loose. I’m sure they won’t mind if the likes of me takes a few band-aids.”

“They’ll shoot you on sight.”

The woman paused. “Not if you’re with me.” She turned around to face Beckett, a menacing grin on her face.

“Oh no, I am not going anywhere with you. I’m getting offsite as soon as I find someone with a higher level keycard and you aren’t getting anywhere near us.” With lightning-fast reflexes, the taller woman vaulted over the table and slammed Beckett against the wall. She saw stars and nearly blacked out as the woman growled in her face.

“Listen, princess, I don’t care what sort of safe room you think you’re going to, but I’m leaving this place alive. Right now, you’re my best chance at that, so if you want to have any hope of joining me, you’ll do what I tell you. Got it?” Beckett blinked the static from her vision and quickly nodded. “Good.” She let the scientist go and grab the last few items. “Move those tables. We’re gonna run for it as soon as that door is open.” Beckett complied, her mind working quickly. She’d go along with her for now, but she knew she could ditch the D-class as soon as she found someone else with the Foundation. Who knows, she might at least be a meat shield to throw at some monster along the way.

The halls had become deathly quiet once the alarms stopped blaring. Not a soul except the two women seemed to be anywhere nearby as they crept along the corridor lit with red backup lights. The D-class led the way with a broken table leg clutched in her hands, and Beckett followed close behind. As irritating as her present company was, she admitted to herself that there was some comfort in accompanying another human being. Her workplace had become a death trap and the unease was making her paranoid of every shadow.

“Hey lady, you got a name?” The D-class whispered. Even that small noise made the scientist jump.

“What does it matter?”

“Dunno, just figured it’d be nice to have something better to call you than ‘dumbass’.”

“Very funny.” She ignored her question for another minute or so, but then decided to hell with it. “Beckett.”

“First or last?”

“None of your business, D-“ She glanced at the tag on her uniform pocket, “537.”

“Jesus, I have an actual name, you know.”

“Not here you don’t.”

“What the hell is your problem?” D-537 whirled around to face her, her voice raised. Beckett tried in vain to shush her as she ranted. “You don’t have any power here, we’re both in danger and you still insist on pretending I’m not a person!”

“That’s not the point!” Beckett hissed. “It’s just a system to keep track of you all. Don’t act like you’re all high and mighty, it’s your own fault you ended up here.”

“You don’t know shit about me! What gives you the right-“ She was cut off by a distant rumble. They both froze, waiting for something to come out of the dark to kill them. When nothing happened for a minute, the D-class glared again at Beckett.

“Come on. We have to get moving.”

“Do you even know where you’re going?”

“Sure I do. Up.”

“The elevator’s the opposite direction.”

“Fine, you lead the way. Better your ass than mine anyway.”

The two waited awkwardly for a long elevator ride to the surface levels. Beckett chewed nervously on her lip, more self-conscious now that the immediate danger was lessened.

“What is your name?” she finally asked the sullen woman next to her.

“Emma.” Beckett had imagined something more…rough.

“Cool.” She fidgeted with a button on her shirt. Another long silence. 

“I was falsely accused.” Emma’s voice was surprisingly soft when she wasn’t yelling at her.

“You expect me to believe that?”

“No. But it’s my story. Got in a fight with some douchebag picking on a friend of mine. His buddy tried to shoot me but missed and hit him instead. Ran off and left me to deal with the cops.”

“Why didn’t you run?”

“I don’t know, to be totally honest. Maybe I was scared. That was the first time my life was really in danger. I thought he would try again, so I figured jail would be better. I didn’t expect to get convicted. I was still naïve enough the think that they’d understand the truth.”

“That doesn’t sound naïve. Surely there was evidence?”

“Yeah, but when you can’t afford a real lawyer you end up with some moron defending you. I probably could’ve done better myself, but by the time I realized what deep shit I was in, it was too late to do anything about it.”

“I’m sorry.” A voice in the back of Beckett’s head told her that she shouldn’t trust her, but something in Emma’s voice sounded hurt enough to make her believe it.

“Hmph, thanks. Doesn’t do jack, but thanks.” The two fell into silence for the rest of the ride. Finally, the doors opened onto a well-lit hallway. Beckett sighed with relief. The exit was close.

She led the other woman around a corner and stopped short in front of a pair of drooling jaws. She managed to react in time to shove herself backward straight into Emma; the two fell roughly to the floor as 682’s mouth snapped shut around where she was a fraction of a second before.

“Fuck!” Beckett shouted and struggled to untangle herself from the pile of limbs. Emma got her bearings first and lifted Beckett up to her feet like she weighed nothing. Pushing and shoving, the two retreated back down the hallway. Emma barely registered a scream coming from her right and watched in horror behind her as the scientist was crushed by a large set of teeth.

“Let go you slimy fucker!” Emma knew she had lost already but she chucked the table leg at the reptile’s head. It clattered off its scales and fell uselessly to the floor. 682 did at least drop the limp body to roar at Emma. She closed her eyes and waited. The bite never came as a rainstorm of bullets hit the side of the beast. It roared and turned toward the ten or so MTF’s. The squad leader shouted something and the group scattered as 682 charged. The sound of gunfire faded, and Emma kneeled down next to what remained of Beckett.

“Well, guess we gave it our best shot.” Her drained body slumped against the wall next to the dead scientist, all hope of escaping fizzling away. She struggled even to lift her arm far enough to reach toward Beckett’s bloodied face and press her eyelids closed. D-537 slept, waiting to be dragged back down into the depths of the facility.

_Test Log 439-A:_

_D-537 was exposed to SCP 439, then kept in below-freezing temperatures throughout the first two stages. Subject never passed into reproductive stages, and the body expired due to hypothermia._


End file.
